BeholderSlayer
2010-12-05, 01:47 PM
This is an adaptation that makes the class printed on the web, Arcane Duelist (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20030224a) a little better than junk. It used to be 10 levels long and had something like 2 good class features, and 1 halfway decent one.
Arcane Duelist
Hit Dice: d8.
Requirements
To qualify to become an arcane duelist, a character must fulfill the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +4.
Skills: Perform 5 ranks, Tumble 5 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Proficiency (rapier, short sword, dagger, or any variation of these weapons as given in Sword and Fist).
Spellcasting: Able to cast 1st-level arcane spells.
Class Skills
The arcane duelist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells
1st|
+1|
+0|
+2|
+2|Chosen Weapon, Enchant Weapon|--
2nd|
+2|
+0|
+3|
+3|Apparent Defense, Dexterous Attack|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
3rd|
+3|
+1|
+3|
+3|Blur, False Keenness|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
4th|
+4|
+1|
+4|
+4|Mirror Image|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
5th|
+5|
+2|
+4|
+4|Flurry of Swords|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class[/table]
Chosen Weapon: Since much of the arcane duelist's apparent ability is tied to magic, the arcane duelist can imbue a specific melee weapon with powers to make herself appear more skilled. The arcane duelist must choose a specific melee weapon to be her chosen weapon. If that melee weapon is lost, she can choose another, but it takes seven days for a chosen weapon to bond to the arcane duelist so that she can use it with other powers of this class. The weapon chosen must be a one handed melee weapon.
Enchant Chosen Weapon (Ex): The arcane duelist's chosen melee weapon acts as if it has an enhancement bonus, even if it does not. If it does have an enhancement bonus, the arcane duelist adds this bonus to the weapon as an effective bonus. This can bring a weapon's effective enhancement bonus above +10. This class-granted bonus works only for the arcane duelist when wielding her chosen melee weapon. The enhancement bonus applied is equal to the number of Arcane Duelist class levels the character has.
Apparent Defense (Ex): Due to trickery and force of personality, the arcane duelist adds her Charisma bonus to her Armor Class, in addition to her Dexterity bonus. Conditions that cause the arcane duelist to lose her Dexterity bonus to Armor Class also cause the arcane duelist to lose this bonus.
Dexterous Attack (Ex): Because the arcane duelist values successful hits over actual damage dealt, she can subtract damage from her chosen melee weapon's potential damage and add the same amount to her attack bonus. However, the weapon must do a minimum 1 point of damage. For example, the arcane duelist who wields a rapier as her chosen weapon can subtract up to 5 points from the damage, since the rapier has a damage potential of 6 points, and add that to her attack bonus. If she were wielding a +3 rapier, she could subtract up to 8 points from damage, since the weapon has a damage potential of 9 points, and add that to her attack bonus. The arcane duelist declares this power before rolling her attack, and the amount subtracted cannot exceed her base attack bonus.
Blur (Sp): The arcane duelist can activate a blur effect, as the spell cast by a caster of her arcane duelist level times two. She can use this power twice per day per arcane duelist level.
False Keenness (Ex): To create the idea that she is more effective than she really is, the arcane duelist can make her chosen melee weapon keen once per day per arcane duelist level. To activate the keen effect, she must subtract the weapon's normal threat range for critical hits from her attack bonus. For example, if the arcane duelist wields a rapier, she must subtract 3 from her attack bonus, since the rapier has a threat range of 18-20, to make it keen. The keen effect lasts for 1 round per arcane duelist level, and it does not stack with the keen edge spell or other magical effects that make a weapon keen. The ability does stack with the increased threat range granted by the Improved Critical feat and by a keen magic weapon. If the arcane duelist uses this power in conjunction with the dexterous attack power, the damage dealt by a critical hit is reduced by the weapon's critical multiplier. Thus, the arcane duelist wielding a rapier and using dexterous attack to reduce the damage by 4 on her rapier has it reduced by 12 if she scores a critical hit using this power. The weapon must still do a minimum 1 point of damage.
Mirror Image (Sp): The arcane duelist can activate mirror image effect as the spell cast by a caster of two times her arcane duelist level.
Flurry of Swords (Ex): The pinnacle of the arcane duelist's power is to create a flurry of sword attacks against a single target. When this power is activated, the arcane duelist makes one additional attack that round at her highest base attack bonus, but each attack that round suffers a -2 penalty. This extra attack stacks with the one granted by the Haste spell. All attacks must be made on the same opponent. Further, the arcane duelist creates 1d4 quasi-real images plus 1 additional image per three levels of arcane duelist. Each image attacks the same opponent as the arcane duelist herself using the same bonuses as the arcane duelist, and any hits do subdual damage to the target. This power is usable once per day per arcane duelist level, but only once per day against any opponent. It requires the full-attack action to use this power, and activation is considered part of the full attack routine for that round. Aside from these differences, the images act as the mirror image spell.
Arcane Duelist
Hit Dice: d8.
Requirements
To qualify to become an arcane duelist, a character must fulfill the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +4.
Skills: Perform 5 ranks, Tumble 5 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Proficiency (rapier, short sword, dagger, or any variation of these weapons as given in Sword and Fist).
Spellcasting: Able to cast 1st-level arcane spells.
Class Skills
The arcane duelist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells
1st|
+1|
+0|
+2|
+2|Chosen Weapon, Enchant Weapon|--
2nd|
+2|
+0|
+3|
+3|Apparent Defense, Dexterous Attack|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
3rd|
+3|
+1|
+3|
+3|Blur, False Keenness|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
4th|
+4|
+1|
+4|
+4|Mirror Image|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
5th|
+5|
+2|
+4|
+4|Flurry of Swords|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class[/table]
Chosen Weapon: Since much of the arcane duelist's apparent ability is tied to magic, the arcane duelist can imbue a specific melee weapon with powers to make herself appear more skilled. The arcane duelist must choose a specific melee weapon to be her chosen weapon. If that melee weapon is lost, she can choose another, but it takes seven days for a chosen weapon to bond to the arcane duelist so that she can use it with other powers of this class. The weapon chosen must be a one handed melee weapon.
Enchant Chosen Weapon (Ex): The arcane duelist's chosen melee weapon acts as if it has an enhancement bonus, even if it does not. If it does have an enhancement bonus, the arcane duelist adds this bonus to the weapon as an effective bonus. This can bring a weapon's effective enhancement bonus above +10. This class-granted bonus works only for the arcane duelist when wielding her chosen melee weapon. The enhancement bonus applied is equal to the number of Arcane Duelist class levels the character has.
Apparent Defense (Ex): Due to trickery and force of personality, the arcane duelist adds her Charisma bonus to her Armor Class, in addition to her Dexterity bonus. Conditions that cause the arcane duelist to lose her Dexterity bonus to Armor Class also cause the arcane duelist to lose this bonus.
Dexterous Attack (Ex): Because the arcane duelist values successful hits over actual damage dealt, she can subtract damage from her chosen melee weapon's potential damage and add the same amount to her attack bonus. However, the weapon must do a minimum 1 point of damage. For example, the arcane duelist who wields a rapier as her chosen weapon can subtract up to 5 points from the damage, since the rapier has a damage potential of 6 points, and add that to her attack bonus. If she were wielding a +3 rapier, she could subtract up to 8 points from damage, since the weapon has a damage potential of 9 points, and add that to her attack bonus. The arcane duelist declares this power before rolling her attack, and the amount subtracted cannot exceed her base attack bonus.
Blur (Sp): The arcane duelist can activate a blur effect, as the spell cast by a caster of her arcane duelist level times two. She can use this power twice per day per arcane duelist level.
False Keenness (Ex): To create the idea that she is more effective than she really is, the arcane duelist can make her chosen melee weapon keen once per day per arcane duelist level. To activate the keen effect, she must subtract the weapon's normal threat range for critical hits from her attack bonus. For example, if the arcane duelist wields a rapier, she must subtract 3 from her attack bonus, since the rapier has a threat range of 18-20, to make it keen. The keen effect lasts for 1 round per arcane duelist level, and it does not stack with the keen edge spell or other magical effects that make a weapon keen. The ability does stack with the increased threat range granted by the Improved Critical feat and by a keen magic weapon. If the arcane duelist uses this power in conjunction with the dexterous attack power, the damage dealt by a critical hit is reduced by the weapon's critical multiplier. Thus, the arcane duelist wielding a rapier and using dexterous attack to reduce the damage by 4 on her rapier has it reduced by 12 if she scores a critical hit using this power. The weapon must still do a minimum 1 point of damage.
Mirror Image (Sp): The arcane duelist can activate mirror image effect as the spell cast by a caster of two times her arcane duelist level.
Flurry of Swords (Ex): The pinnacle of the arcane duelist's power is to create a flurry of sword attacks against a single target. When this power is activated, the arcane duelist makes one additional attack that round at her highest base attack bonus, but each attack that round suffers a -2 penalty. This extra attack stacks with the one granted by the Haste spell. All attacks must be made on the same opponent. Further, the arcane duelist creates 1d4 quasi-real images plus 1 additional image per three levels of arcane duelist. Each image attacks the same opponent as the arcane duelist herself using the same bonuses as the arcane duelist, and any hits do subdual damage to the target. This power is usable once per day per arcane duelist level, but only once per day against any opponent. It requires the full-attack action to use this power, and activation is considered part of the full attack routine for that round. Aside from these differences, the images act as the mirror image spell.